TEENAGERS from a city volunteer project gave up their time at the weekend to help at the Coventry soup kitchen.

Seven 16-17-year-olds from the Challenge Project spent Sunday afternoon preparing sandwiches and handing out drinks with volunteers from city homeless charity, Anesis.

Over three weeks, the teenagers have each taken on a personal challenge, and learned a new skill to help them interact with people of different ages, ethnicities or backgrounds before teaming up with the soup kitchen.

Volunteer Adela Scendo, 16, from Spon End, who goes to Barr’s Hill School, said: “It has been an amazing experience and really rewarding.

“My family came from a different country and it was hard for them to adjust and a lot of the people at the soup kitchen are going through the same thing now.

“It feels good to know we have helped people less privileged than us and everyone has been in really high spirits today.

“I’m really glad we got involved.”

Georgia Scandreet, 16, an Aylesford School pupil from Warwick, added: “We have done things with this project we wouldn’t have normally done so it has been a good experience.

“I didn’t know what to expect with the soup kitchen but it has been tough and given us all a lot to think about.”

Challenge Project assistant programme manager Kelly O’Connor said the scheme was about breaking down barriers and helping the teenagers engage with the local community.

She said: “All these teenagers signed up to help them get extra skills, learn more about volunteering and challenge stereotypes of other people.

“I think it has been good for the teenagers to talk to the people who use the soup kitchen, meet them and see homelessness from a different perspective.

“They were a bit apprehensive at first but here are children and families who need help with food and it is not just the usual stereotype you would expect of a homeless person.”

Kervin Julien, from Anesis, was delighted to have the help of the teenagers this weekend.

He said: “This is the first time we have worked with Challenge but it is great to work with other organisations and with young people that could easily find themselves in these circumstances in years to come.

“They have met people they may not necessarily have met before and hopefully this experience will also change their views of homeless people, and give them the ability to do more and reach out and help.”